New Bed (or how I almost had to use the fire escape)

We've been in the process of getting Ryan's new basement bedroom ready so that he can transition before the baby arrives. The walls are painted navy and gray and navy curtains are up. We also have some cube storage and a large canvas print of Target Field on the wall. Adam had picked out a captain's bed, bookcase headboard, nightstand, and dresser at Nebraska Furniture Mart at the beginning of the Summer and it was scheduled to arrive on Saturday. Since we were going to be in Sioux Falls, we arranged with a friend on our block to come down and let the delivery guys in once they called us to say they were within 30 minutes of town.  However, the first call received on Saturday was a recorded message saying "We're sorry we missed you today. Call to arrange another delivery time."  We were not too happy since they had specifically told us they were going to have the driver call 30 minutes before arriving. After a few phone calls and arrangements, they finally got ahold of the driver and told him to go back and drop it off.   We got a call a little while later from our friend saying the delivery guys didn't think the bed would make it down the stairs and what should they do? We told them just to leave it in the living room and we'd figure it out when we got home. After all, we thought, we've brought a full-size couch and a queen-size box spring down there--how could a twin-size bed not fit?

When we got home on Saturday afternoon, we discovered they'd left ALL the furniture in the middle of the living room--they didn't even carry down the headboard or nightstand, which easily fit. Oh well...easily solved. We got our first indication that we might have some problems as we brought down the 5-drawer tall dresser and discovered that yes, it is a bit of a tight squeeze between the bottom of the stairs and the ceiling, and making it around the corner (our stairs end directly headed into a wall so you have to make a 90-degree turn right or left--in fact there is 40.5" from the edge of the bottom stair and the wall in front of you--an important measurement, you'll soon see).

After taking out all the drawers and strategizing a bit, we headed down the stairs with the bed. Adam did most of the lifting and I did more guiding/helping it slide straight.  We immediately ran into issues and ended up having to slide it down on it's end, then go back up a few steps, then tip it under the ceiling ledge. All this time, Ryan was running around, chasing Nika, squeezing between the bed and the wall to go up and down the stairs, and generally causing mayhem.  After about 15 minutes we had me in the basement, Adam at the top of the stairs, and the bed firmly wedged against the wall and ceiling near the bottom of the stairs...at an angle. Ryan managed to squeeze beneath the 1' gap at the base to chase after the balloon he was hitting around which is when we had to finally restrict him to sitting IN THE TOY ROOM AND DON'T COME OUT WHILE MOMMY AND DADDY THINK! I genuinely did not think this bed-in-the-basement was going to happen. There was nothing we could take apart, no way I could push it back up the stairs, and barely even enough room for me and my belly to escape up the stairs next to it. I was starting to consider trying out the new fire escape ladder in the window well!  I really wanted to take a picture, but didn't think Adam was really in the mood to get the camera. :) I am happy to say that we remained civilized and positive throughout the ordeal that could have been the undoing of some couples!

After some careful measuring and a little more strategy, I got Adam to lift the bed from the bottom corner, on its end, back up onto the bottom stair, then we were able to shimmy it straight down onto the floor between the end of the stair and wall. Both the bed and this area measure exactly 40.5". We then had to lift it straight up back onto the bottom stair, give it a turn, and tip it into the hallway.  WE MADE IT!  I was never so happy to get a piece of furniture into a basement (not even the wooden-leg couch in our old house that, true to his word, Adam took a chain saw to before trying to get it back up out of that basement).

Ryan was so excited about his new furniture and his favorite part is the little cupboard under the bed. We had to have a talk about never going in there by himself unless Mommy or Daddy were around, but he thinks it's the perfect "comfy spot" to sleep.

 We brought his mattress down and made up his new bed, and he slept it in on Saturday night for the first time! We still have to switch his clothes and books and do some additional decorating--I'll post pictures when it's done, but for now, here's a peek at what Ryan thinks of his new room!